Do Warriors use magic often?

I’m new to GW2 and chose warrior because I don’t like magic characters. I have heard the two e-specs are maybe magic based. If magic is unavoidable then I’m thinking Ranger is the way to go as nature magic is the most tolerable of all the types of magic for me. Rangers seem to be the closest to warriors as well. Wind, water, earth, frost, but not really fire is interesting but that is elementalist.

Warrior is the least magical profession in GW2 by far. While warriors have the widest selection of weapons to choose from, they can't wield a single "magic" weapon (like scepter, focus, etc). Spellbreaker (one of the Warrior's elite specs) was designed as an anti-magic specialization. Though arguably the red bubble it produces looks like magic itself.

Ranger uses nature magic a lot and the elite specs concentrate even further on the magical aspects.

Another mostly non-magical profession is the engineer. Though you could argue the elixirs are magic potions. And the elite spec holo-smith uses hightech that looks almost like magic. Also engineer is quite complicated to play, so unless you prefer complex builds where you have to keep multiple invisible cool-downs in your head I can't recommend engineer to a beginner.

For the longest time, the warrior profession never used magic. Before elite specializations, it was all skill and no magic with a wide range of weaponry: swords, greatswords, axes, hammers etc.

When Berserker was introduced with the Heart of Thorns expansion, it was a solid execution on the whole raging warrior concept, a warrior who would do anything within their power to kill their foes. At first, Berserker seems like they're using magic, but it was for the most part physical which makes the theme of Berserker a more fitting alternative to core warrior.

Now we have Spellbreaker, a warrior who definitely uses magic. Using meditations skills, the type of skills used commonly by guardians, like Sight beyond Sight that reveal foes, Bladestorm unleashes a flurry of attacks that reflects attacks etc. The biggest giveaway of a warrior using magic is Full Counter, a skill that removes boons from foes and dazes them if they attack the warrior while Full Counter is active. Removing boons doesn't fit the warrior's theme.

Berserker is... well, it really depends on the build. A lot of the berserker skills do appear to be tapping into elemental magic, specifically fire and earth, although it's questionable whether they're consciously doing so. However, they're still fairly physical in nature, and the theme is generally more one of an over-the-top barbarian hero than a spellcaster. I recall some games from the 80s, and Hexen from the 90s, which had protagonists that were big beefy barbarian-types which could nevertheless gain the ability to throw fireballs using a magic sword or something like that: the berserker feels more like an updated incarnation of that archetype.

Spellbreaker is essentially the "I'm fed up of those cheating magic-users so I'm going to figure out how to counter their magic and force them to fight on my level, even if it means learning some magic myself" archetype.

Ah okay, do you have to use e-specs or are core ones viable? The longbow spec seems fun. I’m thinking I might be all or nothing regarding magic with warrior and ranger. If I’m forced to use magic a little and it really feels like magic with the warrior then I’ll probably go ranger.

@Wuna.7809 said:
Ah okay, do you have to use e-specs or are core ones viable? The longbow spec seems fun. I’m thinking I might be all or nothing regarding magic with warrior and ranger. If I’m forced to use magic a little and it really feels like magic with the warrior then I’ll probably go ranger.

Depends on what game mode you're playing.

If it's PvP, play either Spellbreaker or core warrior. Despite core warrior still being viable, most warriors play Spellbreaker because of the crutch Full Counter skill. It's bad enough that they have one of the strongest healing signets, Adrenal Health that they can activate whenever they have two full adrenaline bars and lots of condition removal, but now they need a stupid skill that forces players to not hit them so they don't get take a lot of damage, have their boons removed and dazed.

If it's PvE, play Berserker. A lot of people agree that Berserker doesn't work anymore for PvP, but it excels in PvE. Banner berserker is the most commonly used build for fractals and raids due to amount of buffs they can give to allies.

@Wuna.7809 said:
Ah okay, do you have to use e-specs or are core ones viable? The longbow spec seems fun. I’m thinking I might be all or nothing regarding magic with warrior and ranger. If I’m forced to use magic a little and it really feels like magic with the warrior then I’ll probably go ranger.

Honestly, if you're okay with how core warrior longbow works, you should be fine with Berserker. Berserker basically takes what's already present in the longbow skills and runs with it.

Regarding Spellbreaker, I can't see them as magic users, , they have access to meditation which is not magic, its mind tranning like you see in real life monks.
Of course you have visual effects for that, but only to add more emphasis (eye candy).

Warrior meditation seems more like mind and body in perfect symbiosis (ki), reminding me of those movies were a fighter closes his eyes and expand its senses, dodging and countering his enemies with perfect timing and speed, landing fast and precise hits where it hurts (movie stuff XD).

The precedent for meditations in a GW2 context are guardians, which are a magical profession. A lot of the skill names are reminiscent of magical professions from GW1.

That said, the only really overt magic spellbreakers have is Full Counter (and even that has some plausible deniability), Bladestorm, Magebane Tether, and the effects that remove enemy boons. They're not trying to be mages, they're just looking to force mages to fight on their ground. They still have noticeably less magic than thieves, or either ranger elite specialisation.

The thing about warrior is that almost everything that could be considered "magical" is not flashy or obviously magic. It's all about enhancement and augmenting their combat potential. Skills like Signets and Banners effects are definitely magical to some degree, as well as certain traits and weapon skills. Even so, there's no real spell casting with warrior, but magic is the best explanation for the superhuman strength, regeneration, and teleporting thrown weapons back into your hands. It's more subtle, but it's there.

The elite specs are definitely more magical though, especially with fire from Berserker. Flaming Flurry for example literally shoots a volley of fireballs out of a sword.

Overall, I would say engineer is probably the least magical class, but Tyria is a pretty magic rich world, and every class has plenty of it if you look for it.

Basically, all the professions use magic, warrior included. The difference is that, while mage characters consciously use magic, a lot of warrior "magic" is subconscious--they instinctively draw on magic to enhance strength and endurance.
The world of GW2 builds up in magic over time. When the magical buildup gets too high, the Elder Dragons wake up and consume the magic until the planet has virtually none left. Then they go back to sleep and, over thousands of years, the planet's magic levels build up again.
This is relevant because in the timeline of the game, the world's magic is at the high point. There's so much of it that everyone draws on it subconsciously--it's just "in the air" more or less, and you can't help but breathe it in. And thus you have the warrior, who has super strength and impossible endurance. Magic is enhancing the warriors' physical traits as they train their bodies. Otherwise, a warrior wouldn't stand a chance against a fireball-shooting elementalist or a gun-touting engineer.

@Regh.8649 said:
Regarding Spellbreaker, I can't see them as magic users, , they have access to meditation which is not magic, its mind tranning like you see in real life monks.
Of course you have visual effects for that, but only to add more emphasis (eye candy).

Warrior meditation seems more like mind and body in perfect symbiosis (ki), reminding me of those movies were a fighter closes his eyes and expand its senses, dodging and countering his enemies with perfect timing and speed, landing fast and precise hits where it hurts (movie stuff XD).

Adaptation to a world of magical threats

I agree with this. Spellbreaker is not a magic user, imo. It feels and plays like a monk or martial arts master who has honed body and mind.

I wouldnt say every profession. imo engineer is still the only profession that doesnt use magic. scrapper was more about electricity and robotics, and Holosmiths... well its in the name, they utilize the light to create weapons and objects. they dont use the light as a magical source but more a physical/photonical force, and creating things out of mere light seems impossible but it accually is. there was a study ive heard about where they managed to move an object with pure light.

@Lucas.3718 said:
I wouldnt say every profession. imo engineer is still the only profession that doesnt use magic. scrapper was more about electricity and robotics, and Holosmiths... well its in the name, they utilize the light to create weapons and objects. they dont use the light as a magical source but more a physical/photonical force, and creating things out of mere light seems impossible but it accually is. there was a study ive heard about where they managed to move an object with pure light.

Actually, it's explicitly stated that the holoforge is powered by magic:

Engineers are distinct in that they don't use magic directly to cast spells or empower themselves, but magic is so widespread that it's often present in the components they use for their inventions. In addition to the above, for instance, elixirs are often infused with magic - it's just that the magic is inherent in the ingredients rather than from the engineer enchanting the brew.

@Lucas.3718 said:
I wouldnt say every profession. imo engineer is still the only profession that doesnt use magic. scrapper was more about electricity and robotics, and Holosmiths... well its in the name, they utilize the light to create weapons and objects. they dont use the light as a magical source but more a physical/photonical force, and creating things out of mere light seems impossible but it accually is. there was a study ive heard about where they managed to move an object with pure light.

Actually, it's explicitly stated that the holoforge is powered by magic:

Engineers are distinct in that they don't use magic directly to cast spells or empower themselves, but magic is so widespread that it's often present in the components they use for their inventions. In addition to the above, for instance, elixirs are often infused with magic - it's just that the magic is inherent in the ingredients rather than from the engineer enchanting the brew.

well if you put it like that, it kinda gets condroversial, because, like you said, the engineer uses magical ingrediants for his elixiers and uses magical crystals for his holoforge mode. but that doesnt make him on his own someone who actively uses magic by himself like an elementalist who uses magic out of nowhere, or a ranger who uses nature magic to summon the spirits of nature or as a druid to connect to nature itself, or even spellbreaker who uses magic to counter magic ,fight fire with fire. (speaking of fire you could kinda argue that even berserker uses magic in form of furious fire but it could also be interpretated as his fury gone completly mental so see it as you may ) but engi... if you see it like this, even a core warrior could use magic, because he got a sword that is magical ;like caladbolg or a random legendary weapon. he himself doesnt use magic but the things he uses are, so doesnt use magic himself.

Anet has told us before that all professions use magic (even core warrior) they just do it it different ways
If you think being that mobile in heavy armor, being able to constantly supercharge and release adrenaline, and recover wounds at a rapid rate is not the use of magic you might need to think out of the box a bit more.

Core Warrior has the power to inspire others with their energy, resist dangerous conditions like burning, and completely ignore pain all with the use of magic.

Even Engi. could be considered to use magic to bolster their intellect over the tools they create and use. The power to modify their own inner magic through the use of devices rather than using their own will to modify it like other professions.